Clippers Notes: Wall, Leonard, Powell, Lue
Wizards fans gave Clippers guard John Wall a thunderous ovation in his return to Washington Saturday night (video link from Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times). Wall made his first start of the season, replacing the injured Reggie Jackson, as the crowd got to welcome him back for the first time since he was traded to Houston in 2020.
Wall scored 13 points as L.A. pulled out a tight win and appeared to say, “This is my city,” after hitting a step-back jumper, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link). He admitted to reporters that he felt the impact of being back in the arena where he became a star, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
“Looked over at the seats where my mom used to be sitting at and the other four seats where my family used to sit at and just try to fantasize and be in that moment for a minute,” said Wall, whose mother passed away in December 2019. “Just being here – like I said, still so surreal. Still don’t feel right, still feel different. But like I said, I enjoyed every part of this game and I’m glad we got a win. It was a lot of chills, tried not to cry, hold back a lot of emotions and kind of be in the moment of the game and try to win.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Kawhi Leonard played 30 minutes on Saturday, and coach Tyronn Lue indicated that his minutes restriction will eventually be lifted, Greif tweets. “It’s going to take some time, it’s going to be a process, but the biggest thing for him is just getting over it mentally,” Lue said, “because I know he said he feels good and feels well but going through those type of injuries myself, I understand it takes a little time to get over that mental hurdle.”
- Norman Powell has progressed to on-court workouts in his recovery from a groin injury, Greif adds (via Twitter). Lue said Powell is getting better, but still needs more time.
- The Clippers have struggled to stay above .500 with their stars in and out of the lineup, but Lue understood it wouldn’t be easy to bring Leonard back after missing a full season with an ACL injury, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Lue said patience will be needed for the team to approach its championship expectations. “And so it’s going to take a little time,” he said, “just figuring out the rotations and who plays well with who and trying to figure out how to split Kawhi’s minutes and what’s best for the team and what’s best for him as well.”
Northwest Notes: Gobert, Conley, Russell, Thunder
Rudy Gobert got a warm reception in his return to Utah Friday night, but things turned hostile after he dropped in a late layup with the game already decided, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Timberwolves held an eight-point lead with 12 seconds left to play as the Jazz decided to trap on defense. Minnesota passed the ball to Gobert, who scored with 2.4 seconds left.
After the final buzzer, Malik Beasley, who was sent to Utah in the Gobert trade, began yelling at Gobert and accused him of violating “one of the unwritten rules of basketball,” according to Walden. Jarred Vanderbilt, who was also in the deal, walked up to Gobert and shoved him.
Gobert was upset that the skirmish marred his night, which included a tribute video commemorating his nine seasons with the Jazz.
“I don’t know what it was. But I’ve been taught to play basketball until the last second,” Gobert told reporters. “For me, there was never any intent to disrespect anybody. So these guys that stepped in front of me — you’re not going to do anything anyway. I didn’t get to shake hands with my guys, so it kind of killed my moment a little bit. But it is what it is — some guys just want attention.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz guard Mike Conley can understand what Gobert was feeling heading into Friday’s game because he went through the same experience when he returned to Memphis, Walden adds. “You just gotta try your best to do your job, but at the same time enjoy this moment,” Conley said, “because you only get to do this situation one time, where you get to come back and play against your team that you did so much for.”
- A hot-shooting night in Cleveland about a month ago helped Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell turn his season around, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Russell said that before that game, in which he made 11-of-13 shots from the field, he was taking “the wrong approach” to his duties with the team. “I was trying to be too focused on being a point guard instead of a basketball player,” he said. “… I kind of just play basketball freely and have fun. I pass the ball, so I’m labeled as a point guard. But just being a full, all-around basketball player, [I was] switching my approach to that.”
- Asked about Darius Bazley possibly re-entering the rotation, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault responded with a general answer, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “We’re trying to help every guy understand their individual style of play that maximizes their strength and maximizes their ability to impact the team,” Daigneault said. “I would say that’s basically the template, the blueprint for every guy.”
Wizards Notes: Injuries, Hachimura, Goodwin, Barton
The Wizards are getting hammered by injuries at a particularly bad time, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The team only had nine players available for Friday’s game at Indiana, which was its eighth loss in its last nine games. Washington is in the midst of a stretch where 17 of 23 games are on the road, so it needs as many healthy players as possible.
Bradley Beal sat out his third straight game Saturday with a low-grade strain of his right hamstring, but he’s expected to be reevaluated soon, Hughes adds. Kristaps Porzingis was listed as questionable going into Friday’s game with a left ankle issue, but he wound up playing nearly 35 minutes as coach Wes Unseld Jr. basically used a seven-man rotation.
There’s more on the Wizards:
- Rui Hachimura‘s progress has been slow as he works to recover from a bone bruise in his right ankle, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Unseld said Friday that Hachimura has been able to do some non-contact drills, but he hasn’t started playing 3-on-3 or 5-on-5.
- Jordan Goodwin has taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the injuries, notes Bijan Todd of NBC Sports Washington. The second-year guard posted career highs with 19 points and five steals Friday night. Goodwin, who’s on a two-way contract, has been producing whenever he’s been called on all season, and Todd believes he might have a role in the rotation even when the rest of the backcourt returns.
- In a video, Hughes examines why Will Barton‘s numbers have declined since he was acquired from the Nuggets in an offseason trade. Barton averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season in Denver, but he has fallen to 7.3/3.1/2.5 through his first 25 games with Washington and his shooting percentages are also way down. Hughes notes that Barton is adjusting to a bench role after being a starter with the Nuggets, but also points out that he’s not driving to the basket nearly as often as he used to.
Bob Myers Nearing End Of His Contract With Warriors
Warriors executive Bob Myers could become one of the NBA’s most sought-after free agents next summer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The president of basketball operations, who constructed the team that has captured four NBA titles in the last eight years, is moving into the final months of his current contract, Wojnarowski writes. Myers has talked to the organization about a new deal, but those negotiations are currently “on hiatus,” sources tell Woj.
“My entire focus is on the season and the team,” Myers said. The two-time NBA Executive of the Year declined to go into further detail about his contract status.
Owner and CEO Joe Lacob said the team intends to keep Myers, stating, “We love Bob and hope he is here for a long time.”
Myers has strong relationships with all the established members of the Warriors, including Lacob and coach Steve Kerr, along with players Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, according to Wojnarowski. Myers joined the organization in 2011 and has handled the general manager’s duties since 2012.
Golden State is already facing a future payroll that could reach $500MM, which may lead to some difficult personnel decisions. A new contract for Myers is also expected to come at a high price.
The Warriors have engaged in discussions about an extension for Kerr as well, Wojnarowski adds. Kerr has two years remaining on his current contract, so there’s less urgency to get a deal finalized.
Magic Notes: F. Wagner, Fultz, Anthony, Banchero
It was easy to focus on Franz Wagner, who scored a season-high 34 points Friday and put the Magic ahead to stay with a late layup, but the win over the Raptors was a victory for the offensive system that coach Jamahl Mosley has brought to Orlando, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
The team executed Mosley’s game plan as well as it has all season, Price observes. The Magic shot almost 60% from the field against Toronto and posted an offensive rating of 116.5, its best in nearly a month.
“This game shows it works, what the coaches are telling us,” Wagner said. “They’re telling us to get to the paint and make decisions from there. Toronto’s really good at collapsing to the paint and defending the rim. That second and third action is when you get baskets at the rim most of the time. It’s a credit to how we moved the basketball around and let everybody touch it throughout a possession.”
There’s more from Orlando:
- The Magic have back-to-back wins and have been playing better since Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony returned from injuries in late November, Price adds. The team now has two more ball-handlers who can generate offense for themselves and their teammates. “We continue to learn each other,” Fultz said. “Guys are starting to realize that’s the way our team can play. We’re young, athletic and we want to make everybody a threat. We’ve been doing it over the last few games, I just think [Friday] you’ve seen results of making shots and getting the shots we wanted. Something we got to continue to build on. We still had a few too many turnovers but it’s all about getting a little better each and every day.”
- On Wednesday, the Magic fell behind 21-6 early in the game before rallying to beat the Clippers in overtime. The comeback was sparked by defense, which could have positive implications moving forward, Price suggests in a separate story. “It was very important for us because it showed when we lock in on defense and do everything correctly, we could definitely be a good defensive team,” Bol Bol said. “All of our defense led to fast-break points and easy offense. As long as we focus on our defense, that’ll translate to offense.”
- After meeting with Paolo Banchero, Italian Basketball Federation President Gianni Petrucci believes there’s a “60% chance” the rookie forward will choose to play for Italy in international competitions, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Greg Monroe Resumes Career In China
Veteran center Greg Monroe has signed with the Shanxi Loongs in the Chinese Basketball Association, tweets international writer Christos Harpidis.
Monroe played with four NBA teams last season, mostly on 10-day contracts as the league was dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak. Monroe signed with the Timberwolves in late December, then spent time with the Wizards, Bucks and Jazz before rejoining Minnesota in April. He appeared in 14 total games, averaging 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per night.
The 32-year-old was selected by the Pistons with the seventh pick in the 2010 draft. He signed with the Bucks as a free agent after five years in Detroit and later spent time with the Suns, Celtics, Raptors and Sixers.
Monroe is no stranger to international basketball. He signed with Bayern Munich in Germany in 2019 and Khimki in Russia in 2020 before returning to the NBA the following season.
Desmond Bane Out At Least 3-4 More Weeks
Desmond Bane will miss at least three to four more weeks with a toe injury he suffered last month, the Grizzlies announced.
A press release from the team stated that Bane is making progress as he rehabs a right big toe sprain and sesamoid injury. He has been cleared to begin “a gradual re-loading protocol,” and if that goes well he could resume playing by late December or early January.
The third-year shooting guard was off to a strong start, averaging career highs with 24.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field. Memphis has a +9.2 net rating in the minutes that he has played.
The Grizzlies were 9-4 when Bane was injured in a Nov. 11 game against the Timberwolves. They have gone 6-5 since then and are currently third in the Western Conference standings.
Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Wiggins, Kuminga, Curry
Warriors center James Wiseman is back in the NBA and is eager to show what he learned during nearly three weeks in the G League, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins all missing tonight’s game at Utah, the team recalled Wiseman to have another player available.
“[Santa Cruz] was fun,” he said. “I’m a hooper. I got to play 25, 28 minutes. That was love right there. I was going out there, working hard, just trying to get better, had so much fun out there. Probably too much fun.”
Playing time has been an issue for Wiseman, who hasn’t made it through a full season since high school, Andrews notes. His college career lasted just three games, he tore his meniscus as a rookie and sat out all of last season with a variety of setbacks.
Wiseman said he focused on “improving in the small areas” during his G League stint. He averaged 15.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.14 blocks with Santa Cruz, and now he wants to take advantage of his next opportunity with the Warriors.
“I’m so much more grateful, more appreciative of this moment now to be able to be back up here,” Wiseman said. “I’m just grateful to be back playing at this level, also, being in a small hotel room the last two weeks not doing nothing, I’m just grateful to be back up here in a big-a– hotel again, be in a great bed again.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Wiggins’ adductor strain will keep him out at least through Saturday’s game with the Celtics, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He will be reevaluated before the team leaves on a six-game road trip that starts Tuesday.
- Jonathan Kuminga is becoming comfortable with the Warriors’ style of play and is the best bet among the team’s young players to earn a significant rotation role, observes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “His defense has really been excellent,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s guarding some of the tougher players for the opposing team, whether it’s a point guard or a wing. He’s got size (6-foot-7). He’s smart, he’s really starting to figure out how to defend without fouling, and try to bother those ballhandlers. He’s earning minutes, for sure.”
- Curry has been selected as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry was recognized by the magazine in 2018 along with the rest of his teammates, but this is his first time winning the honor as an individual.
Knicks Notes: McBride, Rose, Thibodeau, LaVine
As Miles McBride has taken Derrick Rose‘s spot in the Knicks‘ rotation, he has received plenty of advice from the veteran guard, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. McBride logged 16 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Cavaliers, while Rose never left the bench. It was the second night of a back-to-back, but it appears coach Tom Thibodeau plans to keep that arrangement in place.
“(Rose) handles it very well,” McBride said. “I don’t think he’s the type of guy to get down on himself. We’re all human and at the end of the day we compete. That’s why we’re in this business, in this league. You couldn’t ask for a better vet. He’s handled it well. He’s talked to me. He understands it. It’s the nature of the beast.”
McBride has been waiting for a shot at regular playing time since being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. He averaged 9.3 minutes in 40 games as a rookie and was seeing just 6.8 minutes per night in 12 games before this current opportunity. McBride isn’t an offensive threat like Rose, but he has other qualities that fit his coach’s philosophy.
“He’s real long. You look at wingspan, that’s a huge asset for him,” Thibodeau said. “Toughness, anticipation, great feet, strength, all those things. Very, very competitive. High IQ in terms of reading the game. And he’s a multiple-effort guy. He’s going to give you more than one effort on every play.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Rose and Cam Reddish have joined Evan Fournier in being removed from the rotation, but Thibodeau expects everyone to contribute, whether they’re seeing regular playing time or not, Popper adds in a separate story. Thibodeau explained that he made the latest moves to place a stronger emphasis on defense.
- The Knicks need to find a star player and they have to be ready with an offer when the next one becomes available, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said tonight on the network’s pre-game show (video link). Woj mentions the Bulls‘ Zach LaVine as a potential target by February’s trade deadline, but says he’s not available yet. LaVine signed a five-year extension with Chicago during the offseason.
- In case you missed it, the Knicks are reportedly working with Reddish’s representatives to try to find a trade for the fourth-year forward.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Griffin, Brown, Mazzulla
Early-season MVP talk hasn’t been a distraction, Celtics star Jayson Tatum told reporters, including Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic, in a media session before tonight’s game in Phoenix. Boston has the best record in the league at 20-5 and Tatum ranks fourth in scoring at 30.8 PPG, so he’s a natural candidate for the award but he’s not focused on it.
“It’s something that I’m aware of, but I think a lot of it has to do with our team’s success,” Tatum said. “I think I keep playing the way I am and everybody individually, and we keep complementing each other the way we are, and continue to win, then everybody’s going to get individually what they deserve. So I guess the main focus is to keep trying to be one of the best teams and keep trying to win and just get closer to our ultimate goal of getting back to the finals.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Blake Griffin isn’t playing regularly, but he has been effective whenever Boston has needed him, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. With Robert Williams injured, Griffin has been sharing center duties with Luke Kornet as backups to Al Horford. Griffin is only averaging 14.7 minutes in nine games, but his teammates rave about what he provides whenever he’s on the court. “To be able to see him come out and give the energy he’s been giving us, that’s all you can ask for,” Marcus Smart said. “It’s no wonder why everyone loves Blake. It’s no wonder why he’s on this team and he’s still here in this league. He understands what it takes to be a vet.”
- Jaylen Brown, who was left out of the All-Star Game last season, questioned the league’s system for choosing reserves in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports. “I think it should be more exclusive in regards to the decision-making that goes into the process because, to be honest, we have no idea how we make it,” Brown said. “We make it and then they say that there’s this large process, but the (players) union isn’t involved at all. So, as players and representatives of the organizations, I think that definitely we should have some say so.”
- Joe Mazzulla talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the challenges of being thrown unexpectedly into a head coaching role with one of the league’s best teams, offering an interesting perspective when asked about the possibility of having his interim label removed. “Whether you’re the interim or not, you’re always the interim,” Mazzulla said. “It goes back to what is the truth. The truth of the matter is it’s just a name. And whether I have a five-year deal or a one-year deal, I can be gone at any time.”